“a good marine is a brave marine, a good marine is brave marine, a good marine is a brae marine!” These thoughts run throughout my mind every time i think of him. i need you right now. being without you is so confusing. please come and save me.                                                               Love, Bette 


this frantic and sarrow filled letter shook tina to the core. right then and there she knew she had no choice other than to go georgia and save the only person who taught her how to truly love herself and to let other people love her for who she is.     


SET 5YRS. EARLIER: a “thick”, self conscious 15yr. girl is on the bus heading to Georgia to visit the mother she once knew as a child.


” yes dad i have the money in my sock” tina says as she rolls her eyes thinking of her overprotective father. ” ok i’ll talk to you when we stop, ok, ok, OK, i love you too.” a sigh of relieve exits her body as she slams the phone in her bag. the look of the sky in its purple caressing the red as it hold onto the orange. it makes her remember the all the times after all the backyard bbq’s her and her mother would sit and name clouds together. that being the only good memory she has of mother makes tina feel anxious and scared.


finally after a four day ride throughout what seemed like the entire country she finally arrived in Madsville, Georgia. she got off the bus to a woman standing in a red shirt who looked like the woman in all old photos. a rush of relief came over tina as the feeling of being abandoned began to be chipped away by the sight of this woman.


“AAAHHHHH”  ” OH *****, she looks just like you.” this booming male’s voice said as tina walked almost hesitantly toward her mother and this strange man . tina was absolutely positive that her mother neer mentioned a man in all her letters. a long and almost awkward embrace took place. ” hi momma, huh who’s this?” ” oh this is david. he and you are the reasons why i’m clean now, baby!” her mother said as she wrapped her arm around his. ” how you doing tina, is that your bags over there, please let me go get them. it’s amazing how much you look like your mother.” he said as walked toward the bag area.

tina’s face still in shock her mother said ” WHAT?!”  ” YOU never told me you had a man in yo life!” ” is going to be staying with us?” tina asked as she looked for answer of no. ” well actually, baby we’ll be staying with him. it’s just that i knew yo daddy wouldn’t let you come out here if he knew i didn’t have a place of my own yet.” ” i just really wanted you to come and see me this summer, and see how much i’ve changed.”  ” YOU OBVIOUSLY HAVEN’T CHANGED TO MUCH YOU LIED TO ME AND DADDY!” tina yelled as she her mother’s face changed into anger and frustration. ” TINA, I AM YOUR MOTHER, WATCH YOUR TONE!” she replied as it seemed the whole bus terminal stopped to hear their argument. “*****” she thought i   haven’t even been here a day and already were arguing. ” i’m sorry momma. and i won”t tell daddy either.”  ” thank you baby.” vanessa replied as she gave her daughter a hug only a mother can give after such a display.  


david returned with the bags asking if everything was alright feeling the slight tension that was surrounding them. they then headed towards david fully restored 1969 camaro. as soon as tina attempted to get in  david voice startled her with ” WHOA, WHOA, WHOA  take your shoes off before you get in, this is a classic.”  tina shot david one those “*****” looks. and they all got in the car and took off heading to david’s vintage plantation style house. as they approached the tina said to david  sarcastically ” do i have to take my shoes in here to?” david in response shook it off with a smile and said undr his breath “smartass”. vanessa ( her mother) then rubbed his back in response. 


tina’s first thought when she entered through the doorway was “DAMN! MY HOUSE COULD FIT IN HIS LIVING ROOM!” excited to hear her reaction david asked her what she thought of his home. trying not to be impressed she said “it’s o.k. i’ve seen bigger.” tina had to shoot him down because he ion no way had earned her approval, in fact he was negative on the points scale because of his little remark at the door. vanessa soon interrupted  by saying ” baby, you wanna see your new room.” ” sure” tina replied as she grabbed her bags and follwed her mother up to the third floor of house. which tina appreciated because having her privacy was important to her.


vanessa opened the door to room filled light and a goregous bed. something she only dreamed of back home in california. ” baby, i’m going to go start dinner if need something i’ll be downstairs.” “o.k” she said over the sound of a loud lawn mower. ” who’s that?” tina asked as she walked slowly over to window looking down at this person who’s perfect cream colored skin was caressed by the sun. ” oh, that’s probably one of the porter kids”…